Lexus Reclaims U.S. Luxury Crown on Strength of SUV Sales
Lexus deals a major blow to BMW and Mercedes after outselling both in the month of August.
Way back in 2010, Lexus stood atop the luxury car heap in the United States as this country’s best-selling premium brand. That accomplishment marked a full 11 years that the automaker held the title of America’s preferred luxury choice. But the very next year, Lexus ceded their crown to BMW. And they’ve been unable to reclaim it since. But now, Lexus quite literally has their mojo back.
August marked the second straight month that Lexus outsold its German competition in the U.S. as it moved 30,801 vehicles. That number represents a 0.4% decrease over last year. But it’s much slimmer than BMW’s 7.7% loss and Mercedes’ drop of 11%. The difference? Lexus’ slight loss is buoyed by strong SUV sales, which enjoyed a 9.4% increase for the month of August. But ‘utes aren’t the only reason to be optimistic moving forward.
“Customers took advantage of our Golden Opportunity Sales Event and we were pleased to see Lexus sedans gain momentum for the month of August, most notably the ES,” Jeff Bracken, Lexus group vice president and general manager said in a press release. “We also saw a sales increase for the NX and GX luxury utility vehicles. As the new 2018 models begin to roll in, we expect strong sales as we head toward the end of the year.”
Leading the pack was the GX, which posted an impressive 34% gain last month. The LX enjoyed an 11% increase, followed by a 7% gain for the RX and 2% increase for the NX. Meanwhile, the ES continued to pace all other sedan offerings with a 10% increase to 6,404 units.
All of which puts Lexus in position to reclaim the crown it held for over a decade. America’s once-favorite luxury brand is constructing a comeback years in the making. And it’s doing so with a formidable lineup of SUVs and crossovers Americans can’t get enough of.
